I hate it when people don't do their research

Just needed a good place to rant.

So a parent donates a 20 gallon fish tank to her childs room, because her sons love the fish tank in the preschool room and at home. Buys it brand new, gets filter heater, at first I am impressed has everything you would need when it comes to setting up a new tank, until.......mind you she was just doing what she thought best, and I was in my own room so could not intervene.


Fills tank with everything, from what I can tell she did not rinse anything but am not sure. Fills water de-chlorinates, and some sort of bottled starter right after. Probably didn't work because the de-clorinator was API said wait 15 min before adding in any bacteria starter. Stocks it with 5 mixed colored goldfish to cycle the tank, I walked into her picking the bag off the counter and dumping water and all in the tank.

Next day, curious I go in see how they are doing can't resist. I only got a peak the night before

Find 5 guppies
2 of the large growing plecos
6 neon tetras
6 skirt tetras
and a frog

on top on the 5 goldies

She went to the store when they got a shipment in and all the fish were a dollar accept the frog he was 3 dollars but he was cute. Granted she is a parent and a customer so I am just like ...oh really. That is a interesting way to stock a tank. Not sure really what else to say

Day 3: 3 dead goldfish. And a dead neon, I removed them as the teacher of that room was on vacation. Did water change, added TSS that the preschool room still had after the wait period. Trying to do my best.

We were closed for 4th of july weekend

Come back three more dead goldfish (think they were feeders) and a skirt tetra, sigh test water find out ammonia is way high go figure dead fish in tank for three days tanks not cycled either. 4pp. Do a immediate water change regardless of TSS since it was so high to bring it back to safe levels, tell them they need to get more TSS or allow time for me or teacher to do daily changes. Talk to them about the fish. There response

We are going to stop using tap water and used purified? water like the gm told us to she owns fish tanks. So no more using tap water till then. (Ie no water changes) no tss either less I buy it my self. not surprising the tank is down to two skit tetras 4 neons 3 guppy the 2 plecos and the frog.

Not sure what they mean by purified water fish probably be dead soon.

Still.....try to guide them and they don't listen or attempt to find information on there own it is just frustrating. Maybe I can sneak a few out and put them in my tank at home.

 

They're probably talking about distilled/RO water. That sounds like a nightmare... what kind of frog is it? ADF? If so, it will almost definitely starve to death some time in the next week, regardless of water quality. I highly doubt they're taking the time to target feet it, much less even supplying worms.

 

They have sinking frog pellets I told them to make sure to target feed I don't know the type

Unsure on water talking about buying it at a grocery store probably distilled. Were to use it and de-chlorinator for WC.

maybe the guppies will survive but with amm that high and no sign on when to get water in less sneak a WC they prob won't they were gasping at the top yester day and the two surviving skirts have lost all color, the only ones in seemingly good health surprisingly are the neons

 

Sorry to hear Angelbear, maybe with a persistent and tenacious approach, your coworker will understand that your advice is imperative to the classrooms aquarium and its inhabitants.

 

Sorry to hear Angelbear, maybe with a persistent and tenacious approach, your coworker will understand that your advice is imperative to the classrooms aquarium and its inhabitants.

Maybe at least no fish died today and got good news sort of. They went and bought the bottled fresh water the kind you get at a petstore. Caribbean sea makes it. It is fresh water, so at least I was able to do a wc today so that will help the remainder fish. Only walk in room and see 4 more large ish fish. New, two of them look like some sort of gourami, not sure what type, not sure what the other two are. Let me clarify it is a parent not a co worker, my co worker and I are trying to save the fish. With a parent my hands are tied unless higher up makes a comment. She is not a parent in my room so I don't get to talk to her often about it to even try.

Now they are talking about giving me my fish tank maybe next week. At lest with mine it is the company getting it and my boss already admitted to not knowing nothing, letting me set up and do everything so at least I know that tank will be okay.